1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a child's car seat that can be easily converted to a stroller and back to a car seat, as desired. More particularly, the present invention relates to a convertible stroller and car seat that provides a simple and effective mechanism for easily and rapidly extending a set of stroller wheels from a wheel housing beneath the seat, and permitting easy retraction of the wheels so that they are out of view and safely retracted when the device is used as a car seat.
2. Description of the Related Art
Convertible strollers and car seats have been proposed in the past, but each of the known structures has limitations or deficiencies that render it undesirable. For example, a convertible stroller and car seat is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,894, which issued Aug. 1, 1989, to Gloria Dyer. In the Dyer device the wheels are tiltable in a vertical plane from an extended position to a retracted position, and vice versa. However, the wheels remain exposed alongside the seat arms, and, further, the structure is such that the wheels must be swung up and down individually, which renders conversion of the device from one mode of operation to the other awkward and cumbersome.
An improved form of operating mechanism for converting a car seat to a stroller and back again is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,693, which issued Oct. 10, 1989, to Gordon Kennel. The Kennel structure includes a wheel frame that is defined by a plurality of interconnected links. The wheels and wheel frame links can be retracted into housings defined by the widths of the seat arms on either side of the seat. However, retraction and extension of the wheels is accomplished by a wheel operating handle that extends outwardly from one of the seat arms, and thus the operating handle can be subject to unintended manipulation by the child.
Another arrangement for providing a stroller that can be converted to and from a car seat is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,874,182, which issued Oct. 17, 1989, to Gary E. Clark. The Clark structure provides a shell housing below the seat, into which and from which the wheels can be retracted and extended by an operating handle that is positioned on a side of the shell housing. However, the Clark structure includes a large number of shafts, levers, and inner frame members, all of which contribute to the weight of the device and thereby render it undesirable.
Finally, still another form of convertible stroller and car seat is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,680, which issued Nov. 7, 1989, to Terrence O. Molnar. The Molnar structure involves a rectangular wheel carrier assembly that is maintained in a horizontal orientation and that can be moved up and down within a space defined by a perimeter frame that is positioned downwardly below a seat flange and that extends outward beyond the plane of the seat flange. The Molnar structure involves excessive weight, and the perimeter frame that extends outwardly beyond the seat on all sides occupies excessive space when the device is used as a car seat.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved stroller and car seat combination that avoids the deficiencies of the prior art structures.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a convertible stroller and car seat that is simple and compact in construction, with relatively few parts, and that has a light weight.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a convertible stroller and car seat in which all of the stroller wheels are shiftable simultaneously and are completely retracted within the seat portion so that they are not visible, and s that the wheels cannot interfere with or tear the upholstery of a vehicle when used as a car seat.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a convertible stroller and car seat that is operable by a single operating handle that is not easily accessible to a child seated in the seat.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a convertible stroller and car seat that is easy to use, that has a high mechanical advantage arrangement for conveniently operating the wheels so that a minimum of force is required to operate the device.